1%



The Purpose of an Essay

Now that we have a working definition of what an essay technically is, we need to press on to more practical matters, what purpose does an essay have? Certainly, there are many different forms of writing which can all be used (articles, short stories, novellas, treatises, research papers, précis, and others), so what makes the essay unique?

Typically, essays are encountered as a type of writing assignment in academia or as part of a professional occupation, although there are many other ways in which essays are created. Sometimes, they are instigated by the individual in an effort to put one's thoughts down in a tangible, organized format. In any case, essays fulfill three distinct roles in writing.

  1. Essays enable the writer to explore a topic or subject area and to make a decision or judgment about a particular issue.

  2. Writing an essay is a means by which one or more arguments supporting said judgments can be made, bolstered by reasoning and evidence.

  3. Essays assist the author to create interesting and coherently organized writings. (McClain and Roth, 1999)

Designing the Essay

To create an adequately structured essay, one must take care to preplan and structure the writing beforehand to create a work that is compelling, informative, and well organized. The following steps might be helpful in designing the overall writing project.
  1. Identify a topic.

  2. Create a topic question.

  3. Write the thesis statement.

  4. Use evidence.

  5. Use reasoning based on the evidence.

  6. Structure the argument(s) carefully.

  7. Plan, write, rewrite, and evaluate.
(McClain and Roth, 1999)

While it may seem like a lot of unnecessary work, following these seven simple steps can greatly reduce the amount of time spent on writing a quality essay while simultaneously sharpening the writer's skills. At first, it may seem a bit awkward to refer to the seven points, but over time, this planning process will become much more natural and much less intrusive.

Essay Writing Can Be Fun!

Essays, like most other forms of writing, do have some defining features that need to be observed. However, writing essays should not be viewed as drudgery (even if it comes in the form of a school assignment). It is better to think about the essay as a blank slate, a wide open opportunity for the writer to express him or herself in whatever manner he or she deems appropriate. Yes, the writing is focused on a narrowly defined topic. Yes, evidence and rational arguments must be used to support whatever judgment(s) the writer makes. However, it is important to realize that how this is done is entirely up to the writer, which is where the real creativity and personality of essay writing comes in. It is a golden opportunity for expression and, as such, it can be much fun.

]]>